MATHEMATICS

DEPARTMENT




EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES


MATH DEPARTMENT EMPLOYMENT

The Mathematics Department encourages interested students majoring or minoring in mathematics to apply for employment in the department. Students need not necessarily qualify for work-study in order to be employed by the department. Work for the department can take a number of forms:

Course Assistant

Usually grades papers for an instructor but may serve as a course tutor, in-class assistant and occasional guest lecturer as well.


Research Assistant

May assist an instructor in preparing for a course, research pedagogical issues in math education, or perhaps help in the instructor's own mathematical research.


Departmental Assistant

May help in maintaining Department files, preparing Department correspondence, or engage in research and writing related to the Department's work in a number of areas.

(As an example, a student was asked to write a brochure for the department on employment opportunities for math majors in the Madison area).

Working for the Department gives students the opportunity to review and consolidate their own math skills (as graders and tutors). It also allows them to demonstrate that they are responsible employees capable of independent work, possessing good research and communication skills. These traits are of value to any employer and can become one component of a strong letter of recommendation by faculty members in the department.

Note that the positions described above may overlap and a student could be engaged in all of the above activities in the same semester. While preference for employment will be given to students majoring in the Department, interested minors are strongly encouraged to apply as well.

Departmental work study positions are handled through the Learning Resource Center, though recommendations may come from the department.




TUTORING AND MENTORING


If you want to be a mathematics tutor, then several opportunities are open to you. The Learning Resource Center employs tutors who assist students in lower-level courses. The LRC provides students interested in tutoring through that office with appropriate training. Additionally, the department often gets requests for tutoring services from outside the College community. Interested students should contact the Department Chair for more information.




INTERNSHIPS


Students majoring or minoring in the Department are encouraged to explore internship opportunities in the two years prior to graduation. Summer internships between the junior and senior year can be especially useful as a way of exploring career opportunities.

In general, internships give students work experience (often paying more than more traditional summer jobs) and an inside track for full-time employment after graduation. Members of the department, working with Career Services, can help students explore options, discover opportunities, prepare applications, make inquiries, and meet industry mentors.

Interested students should talk to their advisors early in their junior year or before.

Examples of student internship positions

CUNA Mutual (David Spielbauer, summer 2010)

Wisconsin Mutual Insurance (Valerie Hager, summer 2009 and 2009-10 academic year)

West Bend Mutual (Bret Hagen went on to receive full-time employment as an underwriting technician after his internship)